Srinagar/Jammu: With the stage set for third and final phase of elections to Legislative Assembly, scheduled for October 01, the fate of 415 candidates, including two former deputy chief ministers Tara Chand and Muzaffar Beig, will be determined by over 39.18 lakh voters.
Over 20,000 polling staff have been mobilised across seven districts of Jammu and Kashmir for this phase of polling in 40 Assembly Constituencies (ACs) across seven districts — Kupwara, Baramulla and Bandipora in the Kashmir division while as Jammu, Udhampur, Kathua and Samba in the Jammu division.
Baramulla Assembly segment of north Kashmir leads with the highest 25 candidates in poll fray, while Akhnoor assembly constituency of Jammu district will witness contest among three candidates only during this phase.
In Kashmir division, polling is being held in 16 constituencies — comprising Karnah, Trehgam, Kupwara, Lolab, Handwara, Langate, Sopore, Rafiabad, Uri, Baramulla, Gulmarg, Wagoora-Kreeri, Pattan, Sonawari, Bandipora and Gurez (ST), while in Jammu division 24 Assembly constituencies comprising Udhampur West, Udhampur East, Chenani, Ramnagar (SC), Bani, Billawar, Basohli, Jasrota, Kathua (SC), Hiranagar, Ramgarh (SC), Samba, Vijaypur, Bishnah (SC), Suchetgarh (SC), R.S.Pura–Jammu South, Bahu, Jammu East, Nagrota, Jammu West, Jammu North, Marh (SC), Akhnoor (SC) and Chhamb will go to the polls in this phase.
The highlight of the voting will be participation of west Pakistani refugees, Valmiki Samaj and Gorkha community who got the voting rights in assembly, urban local bodies and panchayat elections only after the abrogation of Article 370. They have earlier voted in block development council and district development council polls in 2019 and 2020 respectively.
Over 39.18 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise at 5,060 polling stations in this crucial phase.
According to J&K Chief Electoral Officer Pandurang K Pole, of the 5,060 polling stations set up across the poll-bound districts, 50 polling booths are being managed by women, known as Pink Polling Stations; 43 polling stations will be manned by specially-abled persons and 40 polling stations manned by youths.
Also, there will be 45 green polling stations in order to spread the message about environmental concern and 33 unique polling stations, he said, adding 29 polling stations are established near the Line of Control or International Border for border residents.
“The purpose behind these special polling stations is to spread awareness among sections of society like women, specially-abled persons and first-time young voters to come forward and exercise their right to vote,” he said.
He said the voting will take place from 7 am to 6 pm and before that there will be a mock poll in the polling stations in presence of the polling agents. Also, the voting will continue even after 6 pm, if voters are standing in queue in the polling station premises to exercise their right to vote.
Prominent among those in the fray include People’s Conference chairman and former minister Sajjad Lone and National Panthers Party India president Dev Singh. While Lone is fighting on two seats from Kupwara, Singh is contesting from Chenani seat of Udhampur.
Former ministers Raman Bhalla (R S Pura), Usman Majid (Bandipora), Nazir Ahmad Khan (Gurez), Taj Mohiuddin (Uri), Basharat Bukhari (Wagoora-Kreeri), Imran Ansari (Pattan), Ghulam Hassan Mir (Gulmarg), Choudhary Lal Singh (Basohli), Rajiv Jasrotia (Jasrota), Manohar Lal Sharma (Billawar), Sham Lal Sharma and Ajay Kumar Sadhotra (Jammu North), Mula Ram (Marh), Chander Prakash Ganga and Manjit Singh (Vijapur) are other strong contenders in the fray.
In this phase, 109 candidates are in fray in Jammu district, followed by 101 in Baramulla district, 59 in Kupwara district, 42 in Bandipora district, 37 in Udhampur district, 35 in Kathua district, while 32 candidates are contesting in Samba district.
In Udhampur district, 12 candidates are in fray in Udhampur West segment; nine in Udhampur East; nine in Chenani segment; while seven candidates are contesting in Ramnagar (SC) constituency.
In Kathua district, eight candidates are in fray in Bani; four in Billawar; four in Basohli; eight in Jasrota; five in Kathua (SC); while six candidates are contesting in Hiranagar Assembly constituency.
In Samba district, seven candidates are in fray in Ramgarh (SC); 14 in 70-Samba; while 11 candidates are contesting in Vijaypur constituency.
In Jammu district, nine candidates are in fray in Bishnah (SC); 11 in Suchetgarh (SC); 14 in R.S. Pura–Jammu South; 12 in Bahu; nine in Jammu East; eight in Nagrota; 12 in Jammu West; 17 in Jammu North; six in Marh (SC); three in Akhnoor (SC); while eight candidates are contesting in Chhamb.
Similarly, in Kashmir division’s Kupwara district, eight candidates are in fray in Karnah; 10 in Trehgam AC; eight in Kupwara; 11 in Lolab; seven in Handwara; while 15 candidates are contesting in Langate.
In Baramulla district, 20 candidates are in fray in Sopore; 12 in Rafiabad; six in Uri; 25 in Baramulla; 13 in Gulmarg AC; 12 in Wagoora-Kreeri; while 13 candidates are contesting in Pattan Assembly constituency.
In Bandipora district, 18 candidates are in fray in Sonawari; 19 in Bandipora; while five candidates are contesting in Gurez (ST).
